And now you don't: A Berkeley robotics lab has used slow-motion cameras to capture the secrets of the trick - and found that the insects use their rear legs to swing underneath ledges, faster than an eye can see

When humans see a cockroach skitter away from the light and seem to 'disappear', the creatures are actually employing one of nature's smartest disappearing acts. Now a Berkeley robotics lab has used slow-motion cameras to capture the secrets of the trick - and found that the insects use their rear legs to swing underneath ledges, faster than an eye can see. Jean-Michel Mongeau of UC Berkeley's said, ‘When we slowed it down, we were amazed to see that it was the cockroach's hind legs grabbing the surface that allowed it to swing around under the ledge.’‘Cockroaches continue to surprise us,’ said Robert Full, a professor of integrative biology who 15 years ago discovered that when cockroaches run rapidly, they rear up on their two hind legs like bipedal humans.

The researchers are studying the insects to build robots that mimic their incredible 'disappearing' skills.‘They have fast relay systems that allow them to dart away quickly in response to light or motion at speeds up to 50 body lengths per second, which is equivalent to a couple hundred miles per hour, if you scale up to the size of humans. This makes them incredibly good at escaping predators.’

Surprisingly, the researchers discovered a similar behavior in lizards, animals that have hook-like toenails, and also documented geckos using this escape technique in the jungle at the Wildlife Reserves near Singapore.‘This behavior is probably pretty widespread, because it is an effective way to quickly move out of sight for small animals,’ Full said.The cockroaches' disappearing act, though, relies on tiny hairs on their legs. Without these crucial hairs, they simply fall off - as seen in a video showing off the 'trick'.